AZURE GOVERNMENT CLOUD · DOD MISSION-CRITICAL

Available Talent · Chicago · Defense & GovTech

Director of Software Engineering

20+ years in mission-critical systems. DoD-focused product leadership. Clearance-eligible for Azure Government Cloud environments.

Chicago, IL Azure GovCloud Clearance DoD / Defense Software $8M+ Additional DoD Funding Secured Microservices · Kubernetes · DevSecOps AI / GenAI POCs
20+Years Tech Leadership
$8M+Additional DoD Funding
35Engineers Trained & Led
90%+Test Automation Coverage
$2M+Vendor Savings (Prior Role)
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The Opportunity

This candidate is a hands-on software engineering director with clearance to work within Azure Government Cloud — the environment used by defense contractors and government-adjacent technology companies to develop and review classified and controlled code. His most recent role was leading engineering for a DoD-focused software platform at Sphera Solutions, where his team's work directly contributed to $8M+ in additional federal funding.

He holds Azure Fundamentals certification (2024), has led NIST Risk Management Framework-aligned architecture decisions, and delivered 508-compliant Kubernetes-based solutions with 100% API test automation. His team scored 20% higher than the company average on engagement — a signal of authentic, high-trust engineering leadership.

Currently available. Based in the Chicago area. MBA from DePaul; MS Computer Science from University of Memphis; BE Computer Engineering from Mumbai University.

What He's Done

DoD Product Leadership

Led engineering for mission-critical software used by the U.S. Department of Defense at Sphera Solutions. Work secured $8M+ in additional federal funding. Delivered 508-compliant solutions meeting NIST RMF standards throughout.

Azure GovCloud Clearance

Holds the clearance level enabling access to code and systems deployed on Azure Government Cloud — the Microsoft cloud environment for DoD and classified government workloads. Certified: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (2024).

Modern Engineering Practices

Led migration from monolithic applications to Microservices Architecture using the strangler pattern and DevSecOps principles. 90%+ test automation coverage achieved across managed teams. Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD at production scale.

AI / GenAI POCs

Led AI computer vision proof-of-concept to extract structured data from Safety Data Sheets, eliminating thousands of manual hours. Separately led GenAI POC for an in-product support chatbot, enhancing UX and reducing support volume.

Veterans Data / Health Systems

Led data warehousing initiative supporting the Department of Health's analysis of hazardous material exposure to Veterans and active Army personnel — high-consequence, regulated data environments requiring both precision and compliance.

Enterprise Architecture (15 Years)

Prior 15 years at Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago as Enterprise Solutions Architect. Directed multi-Bank B2B SaaS grant platform, saved $2M+ in vendor contracts, led multi-million-dollar RFP processes, architected SOX-compliant systems.

Technical Stack

Ideal Role Profile

Director of Software Engineering Director of Engineering (GovTech) VP Engineering (Defense Contractor) Head of Development (Azure Gov)

Defense contractors, government IT integrators, and regulated technology companies operating within Azure Government Cloud. Strong fit for Leidos, SAIC, Booz Allen, Parsons, and similar firms — or mid-market technology companies with DoD contracts seeking to upgrade engineering leadership.

Background

Sphera Solutions — Director, Software Engineering (Nov 2021–Mar 2025) · Chicago, IL · DoD mission-critical software

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago — Enterprise Solutions Architect / Assistant Director, Software Development (May 2006–Nov 2021) · 15 years

Insurance Auto Auctions — Team Lead (Jan 2004–May 2006)

SEI Information Technology — IT Consultant (Feb 1999–Jan 2004)

Education: MBA, DePaul University · MS Computer Science, University of Memphis · BE Computer Engineering, Mumbai University

Certification: Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals (2024)

Location: Chicago, IL

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